Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-11-04

hoped to see Lecty trip ont with him and
drive away IN the new buggy. But in
stead, he drove away alone after very
| few Minutes. lie did not look at all
crushed, however, and shortly afterwards
she heard 'lecty softly singing "Best he
| the tie that binds our hearts III Christian
love-" and she took it for good sign,
| Something had come between her and
Lecty which made it very difficult for her
| to ask any questions. Besides the Saund-
erses were subject to spells when you
couldn't get uearness TO 'em, anyhow"
| Mis- 'INakim could not sleep, tossed be-
tween hope and fear, and with an under
lying thorn Ia which she refused to give n
name, and which, indeed. was quite NUT
fled when hone seized her
'Lecty was dutiful aud religious, and she
had, generally speaking, good common
sense; perhaps to Mis- Liakim's mind (al-
though she was quite unconscious of ~
the latter quality amounted TO as much as
the two former, and at the most she had
only puj Nahum off.
'Lecty's cheerfulness the next day in
clined her to an even more hopeful view.
She was clearly not taking on" about Ben
Ho liday.
Early in The afternoon Miss Nancy
Briggs came over, without her knitting. n
fact SO remarkable that Mis- lhakim recog.
nizcd il at once as a portent
II thought you'd ought to he the first to
hear the news" she said, looking ostenta-
tiOusly away from Iecty, and transliXing
the cat with her artificial eye. Nahum
is Guin' 10 be married TO Matldy Trip
over 10 Canterbury that her father owns
six farms and is seieCtman and her uD,lc
is Il minister. Twas all settled last night
and Eahnm was to home and i'll bed before
half after ten. The Briggses was always
great for business, but Nahum beats 'em
all. ] will own | was disappointed.
hope there amt them that's more So Girls
hadn't ought to put too much meanin' to a
young mans comm to see 'em till he
speaks right ont. | expect Nahum felt as
If he'd ought TO think Something of prop
putty and staudin'. Well, ! must he goin',
| want to let folks know just how it is be-
fore false reports get agoin'."
| so 'Lecty p gasped Mis- 'Liakim, as Miss
Nancy's broad back lessened on her view
The visitor remounted the steps sud
denly.
"Dretful to think of what Ben Holidays
come to, amt it? Well, | expect Satan is
a Turin Us all to our fall. Aud that poor
creetur up at the poor-house has sent off
| his mess of rubbish to ransom him Mr..
and Mis- Babbnge that's goin' missionaries
way off to Microneshy, or some such
heather place, round by the way Of San
Francisco, took 'enl or pretended to. Mis-
Babbage-she was Cynthy Atwood-she's
terrible soft hearted, and Mr.. Babbage
thought twas real atfectis' Looks to me
a drettul sight like deceivin' to humor him
so, and to my mind there's skuree any sin
that's greater than lie. But | expect if
poor old Cap'n lsr'el should hear and real
lze what his son has come to, it would kill
him. Seems rs il when l look at Nahum
! | cau't be too thankful for my blessin's.'
Mis- 'Liakim shrsnk and WINGED vsbly,
| like an insect impaled by innumerable
pins. One faint breath of consolation
played over her fevered soul, as the gate
latch clicked; Miss Nancy in the family
circle would no: be an unqualified bless
Ing.
she needn't talk about lynn what was
she dom when she pretended twas Ma
huns fault about ,Lecty : But | amt
anybody" commuEed Mis- Liakim with
her veXed spirit
The thorn grew and stung wonderfully
in this atmosphere of disappointment,
bat it did not prevent her from casting
severe reflection upon 'Lecty.
| With 'Lecty's schOOlteachng, and bon
net and dressmaking, they scarcely made
both ends meet :; how would it be if sick
ness came? In inevitable old age what
was before them but the poor house
This was the continual refrain in Mis-
Iiakim'S anxious brain, and on her lips.
Even 'LeCty'S serene forehead began to
show, between the eyebrows a faint line
of care.
Occasionally, when Mis- 'Liakims head
was partially turned away, she was con
scious of a long questioning look from
| 'Lectys clear eyes. She felt these to be
almost uueudurable, especially after the
day when Persis Wing, leaning over the
fence, had called out
you'd better take -FOUR clothes in to-
night Mis- Liakim. Did You hear how
Cap Brewster Hatch's folks over to Can
terbury lost all theirs one night last week 90
She didn't think of the Initials until she
saw Lecty's face grow red and white in
| that quick way it had
1t was not long after that 'Lecty came
upon her mother down In the field, upon
her knees behind a row of melancholy
cracking corn stalks. Mis- 'Liakim
prayed in meeting, she was though. to
have gift bat this petition was not
couched in the conventional phrases.
20 Lord, don't let the swift judgment
OF Ananias and Sapphiry come upon me !
Thou knOwest ii was snare Of Satan,
their lookin' so much alike, and it come 80
sudden, and Nahum bein' pious. but if a
judgement must come don't let il come on
. 'LeCty, too And. . Lord. keep her, il
not me, from comin' on TO the town I"
After that 'Lecty was very tender to-
ward her mother! and the latter quite
ceased 10 speak OF Nahum Briggs, but her
rusty black hair suddenly showed streaks
OIL gray. and her toil-Worn figure grew pitt
fully thin. And the neuralgia was begin.
ming to keep her away from church as we'll
as prayermeetlng.
On late October day, with srispucss
and sparkle in it, which limited only cheer,
fully of coming frost and cold, Mis- Amos
Pingree, the poor mistress, stopped at
Mis- 'Liakim'5 gate. a plump and com
Portable woman was Mis- pingree, who
mourned her troubles loudly and shed
them as easily as ducks back sheds wa
ter.
When its troubles OF the Lords sendin'
amt got nothip' to say, but the mis-
cheocvousness OF human creturs is moren
can .tIad," she said. Now I've got
poor old Cap'n lsr'el down with the brain
fever, Il suilerin' and burnin' and screech.
in, night ard day, because some fool had
to come up to the poor house with that
story about his son bein seen around here
drunk. tried to keep him from hearin'
it, but he and Old Job Mudgett got to guar
relin' and Cap'n Isr'el invited him with
courtin IA lot of girls before he could get
onetl have him Think of such childish
ness in them old creturs and Job he
flung 1t at him about his son. I wouldn't
hardly have thought he'd have took it in
at ALL bein' he was sure he was some
where's amongst the savages. He appear.
ed like somebody that's got sudden blow